


Come, Spring

by YuzuParfait



Category: Promare (2019)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Alternate Universe - Skating, Angst, Crushes, Fluff, Found Family, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, Gueira and Thyma are biological siblings, ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating, Minor Aina/Thyma, Multi, Mutual Pining, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, figure skating AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-13
Updated: 2020-08-12
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:21:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 15,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24165790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YuzuParfait/pseuds/YuzuParfait
Summary: Lio Fotia is a world-class figure skater, a star in the skating community, adored by fans all over the world.Galo Thymos is Promepolis’ #1 Firefighter, and the adopted son of Kray Foresight, the current director of the International Skating Union, who'd taken him in when he was just a child.Lio also has a crush on the mysterious blue-haired man who lives down his hall, but what are the chances the other might have a crush on him too? Surely... none, right?
Relationships: Gueira & Meis (Promare), Gueira/Meis (Promare), Lio Fotia & Galo Thymos, Lio Fotia & Gueira & Meis, Lio Fotia & Gueira & Meis & Thyma, Lio Fotia/Galo Thymos
Comments: 24
Kudos: 91





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Oh my god my back hurts.  
> Anyway, welcome to the start of this fic!! I hope ya'll stick around for the rest of it, there's definitely more to come!
> 
> Thank you so much to Enna and Furi for helping me beta this chapter! You guys are the literal best, I'd never survive without you two ❤️!!
> 
> Check out this playlist I made for the fic! It's honestly just filled with music I think would vibe with the fic, y'know?  
> https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2OQuQhFK1yR2SlSebCl8ay?si=MdbBjPMnRuuWfcdpWmCmeg

“Yet again,” Meis said from behind the rink boards, his eyes trained on the young man in the middle of the rink. “Your form is too tense, your footwork is sloppy, and you keep over-rotating the fuck out of your jumps,” Meis sighed as he folded his arms, his face painted with a look of frustration. 

“What’s up with you today, Lio?” Gueira questioned as he emerged from the rink’s locker room, obviously overhearing the conversation from earlier.

In the middle of the rink stood Lio Fotia, two time World champion, three time Grand Prix Final champion, four time national champion and Olympic Gold Medalist. In the eyes of his adoring fans, he was deemed unstoppable, as if he were the hunter Orion, his sharp eyes and graceful movements conquering all in his path. In the jaws of the ruthless media, he was nothing more than another replaceable prodigy, like a star, one that would burn out and die after its prime, joining the rest of his brethren in the blackhole void that was space.

“And so what if I’m out of it today? Haven't you two been complaining about the same things non-stop for the past week or so?” Lio groaned, crouched over with his arms resting on his knees. 

He jolted, almost losing his balance as a soft pair of gloved hands were placed over his shoulders from behind him. “C'monn, Liiiii!” Thyma whined, shaking the other’s shoulders back and forth. “You know they’re right! You’ve obviously been distracted by _something_ and whatever it is, it’s been making your training suffer.” Thyma continued to shake his shoulders harder between words, as if doing so was helping her prove her point, and as much as Lio hated to acknowledge it, he knew that she was right. 

“Alright, alright, stop shaking my shoulders!” Soon enough the shaking lulled and ceased into nothing, allowing the warmth from her hands to seep through the fabric of his form-fitting shirt. 

“Aha! I knew it,” she cheered, “Buuut…What’s been on your mind? You're always so focused during practice.” Thyma hummed, retracting her hands to imitate a thinking gesture. “Wait, could it be?” She fake gasped, “Does my baby brother have a crush on someone?! Is that why yo-” The red head’s words became muffled as Lio abruptly stood to cover her mouth with a gloved hand of his own.

“The answer is _No_ , Thyma, with a capital N. There is no one I’m even remotely interested in right now.” Lio said, removing his hand afterwards, exasperated that she would even come up with a joke like that. “Not even the cute blue-haired hunk from down the hal-?!” He sighed as he pressed his hand back against her mouth, effectively cutting her off yet again, “No, Thyma, not even him.” 

As Thyma successfully removed herself from her brother’s grip, Gueira flopped against Meis’ side by the rink's boards. “Meis the kids are fighting! I can't believe we’ve failed as parents!” Meis sighed as he pushed Gueira's lanky form off of his side, moving to fix his messy ponytail into a proper bun. “Lio, you've been very out of it for the past week. It's concerning to all of us, and I think we need to have a talk about it as soon as possible.” 

While Lio knew that Meis and Gueira were literally his family, taking him after he’d lost everything, he also knew that fucking around during practice was prohibited. Especially since they were in charge of coaching him.

“I don't think this warrants an actual serious conversation. I’m doing fine, just lacking some inspiration.” Lio said nonchalantly, skating his way towards the exit of the rink. “Lio, your ‘lack of inspiration’ could potentially lead to injuries on the ice,” Gueira pointed out, his hands on his hips. “Meis and I have been thinking about this for a few days now, and we’ve decided to give you a few days off to figure out what you're going through right now.”

Lio glared at them as he motioned for Meis to hand him his skate guards, one hand settled on the rink’s boards and his other outstretched. “Listen, I don't think wasting even more time off ice will help at all. Considering how I’m completely fine and in perfect condition,” he assured, putting on his skate guards. They were a pair of pink holographic guards gifted to him by Thyma last Christmas, he’d loved them from the first moment he removed them from the confines of some supermarket Christmas wrapping and had refused to swap them out ever since. Straightening his back, he walked off the ice and onto proper flooring. 

“We’re serious, Lio. Take the next few days off and get some rest. Do some soul-searching or whatever,” Gueira continued, passing a bottle of water to Thyma who was still on the ice. “And what if I don't?” Lio questioned, as he sat down on a bench to start wiping off the blades of his skates with a towel. “What makes you two so sure you’d be able to keep me off the ice for that long?”

“Oh, that’s easy,” Thyma exclaimed, a wide grin plastered on her face, “I’m in charge of keeping an eye on you!” 

Oh. 

As Lio processed the information in his head, he found that there were only two words that his brain managed to use to describe his current predicament.

_Oh no._

A shiver of fear raced up his spine as he remembered just what happened the _last time_ Thyma was given the task of making him stay put. It was a few years ago when Lio had refused to take a break from the ice, even after his feet were blistered from breaking in a new pair of his boots. At that point, Thyma had decided to take matters into her _own_ hands, lifting him off the ice and carrying Lio home with him tied to her back like a koala.

No one had expected her to be serious when she first threatened to strap Lio onto her and carry him around with a baby carrier-like thing for an entire week when he’d first refused to leave the ice. It led to one of the most embarrassing weeks in Lio’s adult life, one that Lio still regrets to this day. He knew immediately that he had absolutely zero chance to even breathe in a single breath of oxygen anywhere between a hundred to even a mere five kilometers near the rink until they deemed him well enough to be let back on the ice.

“Alright, fine, holy shit, I’ll make sure to stay away.” He sighed as he unlaced his boots, placing the towel he was using over his shoulder. 

“That’s great! Maybe tomorrow we can even check out that frozen lake I’ve been trying to tell you about for like a whole year now,” Thyma yelled from her position on the ice. “We’re gonna have so much fun, you’re gonna be blown away by just how well the sunlight reflects off the ice. We can even pack together some snacks and have a picnic there!”

“Wait, don’t you have class tomorrow?” Gueira questioned, a slight tilt in his voice expressing his confusion. “If you start falling behind in school I won't let you on the ice either, Thyma.” 

Even while Thyma and Lio were still competing professionally, they were both attending university on different scholarships. While Thyma preferred to attend classes in person, socialising with the people around her, Lio attended classes online instead. He blamed it on his anxiety and unfortunate lack of functionality to attend to so many things at once, though it was moments like these that made him all the happier that he didn’t have to physically drag his body to classes.

“How did you even remember I have class tomorrow?” Thyma groaned, wiping the sweat from her brow with a pastel snake patterned towel. “Can’t I just skip a few to drag Lio to cool places for fun?”

“No, Thyma.”

“Aw, man.”

\-----------------

Evening came by fairly quickly, and Lio and Thyma returned home to their shared apartment, located around fifteen minutes away from the rink. “The perfect distance for you two to get in some jogging before early morning practice, y’know?” Gueira had mentioned when they first moved in, laughing uncontrollably between words as Thyma and Lio complained immediately at the mere thought of jogging so early in the morning.

Despite the initial annoyance at the idea of light jogging before practice, Lio quickly began to appreciate living in their shared apartment. For one, it was large enough to fit all four of them comfortably, and the brief peeks he got on the handsome, muscular, blue-haired man who lived down the hall had increased the pros of living there greatly against any of the cons. 

_‘Fuck,’_ Lio thought, glancing over to his sister, _‘Maybe Thyma was right.’_

As they headed towards the designated hallway full of their bulding’s mailboxes, Lio was surprised to see the handsome man that was currently invading his thoughts, busy grabbing his own mail as well. His sweaty, muscular arms shone under the bright LED lights, and his apparent allergy to shirts gave Lio a _solid_ full view of said man’s six pack abs.

 _'Silence, gay thoughts,'_ he yelled internally, failing to prevent himself from flushing slightly as the man in front of them turned to their direction, greeting them with a smile that radiated the energy of a million stars that miraculously aligned themselves in a perfect constellation in the sky. Lio could’ve sworn it would have had the power to blind him temporarily. 

“Hey there,” the man said “I hope you two have a great rest of the day!” He grinned as he walked past them, seemingly eyeing Lio as he did so.

“We definitely will,” Thyma responded, a grin apparent in her voice. “Especially since you’ve shown up!”

If Lio wasn't already blushing earlier, he sure was blushing now, his face was as red as the roses that used to grow in his old home. “Haha! I’m glad I managed to make your day better then,” The man was so stunning, and Lio couldn’t physically bring himself to rip his eyes away from the sight in front of him. “Though, I gotta get going now, see ya around!” He said, waving as he rounded a corner and disappeared into an elevator. 

Agonising silence filled the hallway as the boisterous man left the two siblings alone. Lio could feel the other’s stark absence, as if the moon and all the stars had suddenly disappeared from a brilliant night sky, leaving it cold and bare.

“Close your mouth, Lio.” Thyma said, pressing the key to their apartment’s mailbox into the palm of his clammy hand.

“What?”

“You’re gonna attract flies, Lio.”

“Shut up, Thyma,” Lio hissed quietly, snapping out of his trance and hastily shoving the key into the mailbox lock, turning it as quick as possible. He could feel the warm, red flush on his face travel to the tips of his ears, and he hid his face behind the small door of the mailbox in a weak attempt to cover his embarrassment.

“Lio, you can't hide behind there forever,” Thyma laughed, “How else are you gonna face the fact that he was _totally_ checking you out?” Lio shoved his red face further into the mailbox, wishing it had the power to consume his entire being and transport him into a cold metal void where emotions didn't exist. 

“Thyma I can’t believe you just said those words to him out loud, have you no sha-”

Wait.

What?

“What do you mean he was _checking me out?_ ” Lio squeaked, his voice slightly echoed by the mailbox. His face was reddening impossibly further, his free hand grasped the door of the metal mailbox tighter, as the other struggled to remove the letters from the inside with trembling fingers. 

“Lio, I may be a lesbian but I have eyes,” She huffed from her spot next to him, “He was obviously interested in your beautiful features.” Thyma teased, a smile apparent in her voice as she leaned against the row of mailboxes. Lio didn't have to look at her to know she was wiggling her eyebrows at him. “Maybe you haven't been the only one looking forward to sneaking a peek at the cute boy who lives down their hall.”

As much as Lio loved to entertain the idea that he was good enough, no, scratch that, _cute enough_ , to be on the gorgeous man’s mind, there was just no way it was possible, at least in his perspective.

“C’mon, Thyma,” Lio whined as he removed his head from the mailbox’s cold interior, trying and failing to compose himself before meeting his sister’s smug face. 

“Maybe your gaydar is broken.” Lio said as he handed the keys over to his sister.

“Excuse _you_ , my gaydar is in absolutely pristine condition. Your gaydar’s the one that’s rusty!” Thyma huffed, closing the small door of their mailbox and replacing the lock as Lio stepped aside. 

“I could write you a _list_ of reasons why he _doesn't_ have a crush on me, Thyma.” Lio replied, stuffing his positively sweating hands into the pockets of his sweatpants.

“Well I could make you an entire _PowerPoint_ of reasons why he _does_ have a crush on you, Lio.”

‘Hmm, touché,” he sighed, gesturing for his sister to follow him out of the hallway. “But still, there’s just something about him that seems too good for me y’know? Getting a chance to date him would be as slim as the chances of me winning another Olympic Gold medal.” 

“I’m sure winning another gold in two years will be easy as hell for you though! You’re still in your prime and you can definitely do it again.” Thyma exclaimed, an air of certainty and reassurance in her words.

“Yeah, I mean if the ISU stops being out to get me so much, then maybe I’d have a chance.” Lio huffed, “It’s kind of like that Britney Spears song where she goes _‘Why’re you so obsessed with me’_.” 

For a moment, the silence surrounding them was deafening. Thyma gasped, shattering the awkward silence, “Hello?! Who the hell taught you that was a Britney song?” Her features were painted with shock and betrayal, “It was Gueira wasn’t it?”

“Yeah.”

“I fucking _knew_ it, that _rat bastard_.” 

Lio loathed to find out what she'd do to Gueira once the man got home later that day. “Either way, that was a terrible analogy,” She huffed as they reached the elevators, pressing the ‘up’ button on the wall. “Just give yourself a little chance, Lio. You won’t ever regret it, I promise.” The elevator to their right opened its doors with a sharp _ding_ , signalling its arrival.

“Yeah, maybe one day Thyma.” 

While Lio had always known better than to question his sister’s taste in music, he decided to indulge in his curiosity for once. As the elevator doors closed behind them, Lio spoke up, “What made you so fired up about me mistaking that Mariah Carey song for Britney Spears anyway?” He questioned.

“So you did know!”

“Of course I did, you used to blast Britney Spears’ entire career almost everyday in high school.” 

“Then you should also know that I was raised a Britney Spears gay.” Thyma stated, pointing to her head with a finger, “Every song? Stored right here in my head.”

Lio whistled, impressed, “Damn, I never thought you were serious about being raised a Britney Spears gay, but you've proved me wrong yet again.”

“Did you ever doubt my expertise?” She laughed as the elevator doors opened with a sharp _ding_ , signalling that they've reached their floor. Thyma quickly exited the elevator, her feet light as she walked towards their apartment. “Let’s go, Lio, I’m starving!”

Lio hummed, a fond smile on his face as he followed after her, “No, never.” 

“Great, that means you'll let me call dibs on what we eat for dinner tonight, right?” Thyma asked, opening the door to their apartment. 

“In your dreams, I've been waiting for Gueira to make me my kangaroo meat sandwich for a month now.”

“You know you’re really disgusting right, Lio?” Thyma said as she moved to elbow her brother in the side. With years of practice, Lio skillfully dodged his sister's elbow, painlessly closing and locking the door behind them.

“Hmm, sure,” He responded, with a noncommittal tone.

The smile never left his face.

\-----------------

Lio awoke to golden streams of sunlight filtering through the cracks of his curtains, reflecting against the metal of the countless trophies and medals he’d accumulated throughout the years. His ears picked up the sound of birds chirping happily outside his window, singing the song that signalled the rise of the sun. Peering through a large crack, he sees the bustling streets of Promepolis, its citizens already wide awake and moving at...what time was it?

Lio fumbled his arms around his spot on the bed, searching for his phone. He was unwilling to move more muscles than necessary on his day off, albeit one that was forced on him. Any day off was one he appreciated nonetheless. After a few moments of searching, Lio’s hand eventually slapped against the cold case of his phone, the sudden motion causing the small object to fly off the bed, falling onto the floor and skittering to the wall by his bedroom door. 

_'Fuck,'_ He thought, as the chirping outside his window increased in volume.

Lio willed himself to rise from his bed, using every bit of newfound strength and energy he had to remove himself from the tangle of pillows and plush animals he found himself in every time he woke up. Grasping an old, faded dragon plush tight against his chest, he rose to a slumped sitting position, his mind still groggy from sleep, and his hair a wild mess. Lio scrubbed at his eyes as he attempted to focus on the wall in front of him, it was covered in certificates and weird knick knacks Meis, Thyma and Gueira got him when he first moved in with them in their old apartment all those years ago. It was a sign that he’d been accepted into their small, makeshift family, one that marked that he’d come home.

Warmth filled his chest at the fond memory, he’d held all those knick knacks close to his heart ever since. While they may look like pieces of useless clutter to a stranger, they held an insurmountable amount of meaning to Lio. They ranged from small things such as yellowed tickets and old happy meal toys, to polaroid photos of their first outings together, and printed out selfies taken on the high of podiuming at post-competition banquets.

Lio’s short trip down memory lane was interrupted by a series of short knocks on his door. “Can I come in?” A muffled voice came from the other side, “I've been handed notes and have been told to pass them to you.” 

“Yeah, come in.” Lio responded from his spot on the bed.

The door opened to reveal Meis, clothed in his workout attire with his hair tied up into a neat bun. “Good morning, Lio.” He said as he walked towards Lio’s bed, taking a seat next to him, “I come bearing gifts from Thyma and Gueira.”

“No gift from you?” Lio joked as he reached for the pink notes in Meis’ hand, failing to reach them when he jokingly raised them above his head. “Meis I cannot believe you’re doing this to me.”

“Doing what?” Meis said, his voice laced with fake confusion.

“You know exactly what you’re doing,” Lio huffed, pretending to be annoyed. “You’re holding my gifts hostage.”

“Alright, alright,” Meis said as he lowered his arms to hand the notes over to Lio, “Here are the gifts, your majesty.”

“Thank you,” Lio read the first note, which was written in neat cursive. _“Here’s the coordinates for the frozen lake! Bring the snacks Gueira packed and have fun, I hope this helps you find the inspiration you’ve been lacking! -Thyma”_

Snacks?

The second note he read was seemingly written in haste, the writing on it was rougher and less neat. _“There’s snacks Thyma forced me to pack for you in the pantry, grab ‘em before you leave! -Gueira”_

“You guys left snacks for me?” Lio questioned, turning the notes over in hopes of not missing anything. Lio felt the warm feeling from earlier return to his chest, he gave Meis a brief hug before he stood up from his spot on the bed, filled with a new determination to search for the frozen lake. _“There’s got to be a reason why Thyma wanted me to check it out.”_

“Meis, I’m going to that frozen lake even if it kills me.”

“Leave us your will on the table before you leave, Kid.” Meis laughed as he watched Lio from his spot on the bed.

“Also, don't forget to pick up your phone from the ground.”

“Shit!”

\-----------------

As Lio strapped the rest of his equipment into his motorcycle, he took a brief moment to look over the tyres. He’d customised the entire bike himself with the leftover money he didn't donate from winning the last Olympics, and it was his pride and joy. Hopping onto the seat of his bike, Lio made sure his helmet was secure on his head and that his jacket was worn on his front to protect his pale arms on the fast ride under the blaring sun. He briefly wondered if the lake would even be frozen during this time of year.

Without putting any more thought into it, Lio set up his phone to lead him to the coordinates on Thyma's note, kicking the stander off from the ground. He started the engine and gripped the handles of his bike tightly, speeding off into the lanes that were shown on his phone.

After about an hour of riding, the city was slowly replaced with vast expanses of fields. Towering trees loomed overhead as blaring streams of sunlight broke through the cracks between the leaves. The rolling hills seemed to go on for miles and miles and when he reached a dirt road covered with thick foliage, Lio knew he’d arrived.

After Lio’d parked his bike, he’d grabbed his bag of equipment and snacks, carefully beginning his trek into the forest. He briefly wondered if the shining light ahead was the reflection of the ice lake, “Well,” he whispered to himself, “We won’t know until we get there.”

The beautiful iced-over lake greeted Lio as he emerged from a particularly thick bush, and he gasped at the stunning sight in front of him. The lake seemed to stretch on for miles, reflecting sunlight in the most beautiful way Lio had ever seen in his whole life. He cautiously moved forward, testing his weight on the ice with his foot, _‘Huh, it really is thick,’_ he thought to himself.

Quickly grabbing the equipment out of his bag, Lio strapped on his skates in record time, hopping onto the ice the moment they were secured. He glided around smoothly around the lake, impressed with its resilience. “I guess I’ll start with some simple figures,” Lio said to himself as he stretched his arms above his head, preparing to get in some light exercise.

What Lio thought would’ve been a quick skate eventually turned into a long run through of his past programmes, he’d taken the parts he’d loved the most and merged them into a long unending skate (with breaks in between of course.) He let the smooth feeling of fresh ice under his boots carry him like a leaf in the wind, gliding with enough grace to rival even the vainest swans. He lost himself in the feeling of skating alone for himself, away from the scrutinising eyes of corrupt judges and the media, away from all the stress in his life and his rising irritation at his desperate lack of inspiration.

The ice lifted a heavy weight off of his shoulders as he skated, his feet moving as if they had a mind of their own. He continued on into an smooth entry of an Ina Bauer, following it quickly with his signature Biellmann, ending his spontaneous skate with his arms outstretched towards the sky, his eyes closed as he regulated his breathing.

“Woah,” a breathy voice exclaimed, abruptly breaking Lio out of trance and bringing him back to the real world. Lio opened his eyes to a sight that made him think he was dreaming, at the edge of the lake stood the man who lived across his hall, his face painted with awe and slackjaw amazement at Lio himself.

“You’re _beautiful,_ ” the blue-haired man breathed out, and for the first time in his life, Lio was tempted to believe him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lio’s eyes widened at the sight in front of him, his breath catching in his throat as he struggled to understand if his mind was playing tricks on him or if the guy he’d been crushing on for months was suddenly in front of him. “What are you doing here?” He questioned, breathless, a surprised tilt to his tone signalling his confusion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Donald Duck voice : When you walk away you don't hear me say _PLEEAAASSEE OH BABYYY DON'T GO!_
> 
> My computer crashed on me while I was uploading this chapter.
> 
> Oh man sorry for the late updates lads, I had to put my education first since the past month was filled with midterms and assignments. I hope y'all enjoy the chapter though! All your lovely kind comments and kudos from the last chapter really kept me going, thank you all so much for your support ╰(✿´⌣`✿)╯♡

Lio’s eyes widened at the sight in front of him, his breath catching in his throat as he struggled to understand if his mind was playing tricks on him or if the guy he’d been crushing on for months was suddenly in front of him. “What are you doing here?” He questioned, breathless, a surprised tilt to his tone signalling his confusion.

“I never expected to see a professional skate when I came down here.” The man flashed him a wide grin, bright and beaming - and Lio felt temporarily blinded, ironically frozen in place by the sight of his smile. It was as if every single star and sun in the Milkyway was contained within that single expression. “Though I guess it is pretty rude to not introduce myself, so I’ll start first! I’m Galo Thymos, Promepolis’ number one firefighter!”

Lio was stunned.

 _‘Is this man serious?’_ He could almost hear Gueira yelling in his head, _‘Somebody come get your man!’_

“I’m Lio Fotia,” he replied, finally exhaling, releasing the breath he didn’t even know he was holding. “I’m sorry, I didn’t really expect any company out here.”

“No need to apologize! You never really expect to meet anyone at a weird frozen lake deep in the forest.” The blue-haired man stretched his arms over his head, eventually resting them by the nape of his neck. “After all, it’s free real estate, isn’t it?” Galo took a step onto the ice, gliding slowly towards the spot where Lio stood.

In any other circumstance, Lio would’ve rolled his eyes; but this time, nothing felt like the right thing to do. It was as if one wrong move was all it took to ruin the moment. His head was surprisingly silent, free of any of the usual gay thoughts that filled every crevice of it whenever the mere mention of the other was brought up. Needless to say, he’d managed to surprise _himself_ , reaching out his right hand towards the blue-haired man when he’d almost reached him. 

“Either way, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Galo Thymos.”

When the man had slid his way to Lio’s position on the lake, he’d halted abruptly in front of him, grabbing his hand for a firm shake. The warmth from Galo’s hand seeped through his gloves, and Lio would never admit to anyone just how nice Galo’s hand felt enveloping his. The palm of his hand was rough from work and constant use, catching slightly against the fraying fabric of his gloves.

 _‘Probably from long hours at work or the gym.’_ A voice in his head whispered.

 _‘So that’s where the gay thoughts went.’_ Lio huffed internally, giving Galo a small smile once he’d let go of his hand, silently mourning the loss of his warmth. _‘He’s kind of like a space heater.’_ The voice continued, and Lio wished not for the first time, that they’d shut up.

“Hey, have you eaten yet?” Galo’s voice broke into Lio’s train of thought, dragging him back to the present. Processing the other’s words in his head, Lio realised he hadn’t had anything since breakfast, and judging by the colour of the sky, it was probably some time close to sunset. “No,” Lio realised, finally taking notice of the ache in his legs, “But I could probably do with a break.”

“That’s great! I’ve brought some snacks with me too, we could share them if you’d like.” Galo’s smile seemed to increase tenfold when Lio offered to share some of his own snacks as well. Reaching out his left hand for Lio to take, Galo proceeded to drag them towards land the moment the other had placed his hand in his, a barely noticeable smile apparent on the shorter man’s face.

Lio could feel his legs cheer in relief when he’d finally sat down on solid ground, stretching them out in front of him. He opted to lay in the grass for a while when Galo announced he’d get some snacks for them, taking in the soft breeze as various birds sang their lullabies from the trees. Lio stretched out his hand to shield his eyes from the intense glare of the setting sun, it’s rays brighter than almost any arena he’d been in before. Not that any arena could rival the beautiful colours of the sight in front of him, though. 

After a bit of rest, Lio quickly got to work, meticulously undoing the laces of his skates. He continued on with his usual routine, wiping the blades of his skates dry with a soft cloth. He then fitted on the skates with their covers, and finally placed them safely back into their designated bag. 

The sky was a masterpiece of bright oranges and pastel pinks, accompanied by faint splatters of purple hues. The fluffy white clouds seemed to glow, illuminated by the day's last rays of sunshine. It was as if someone had tipped over multiple buckets of paint, splashing them into a sea of colour. A happy accident, mapping its way across the setting sky.

Lio jolted back into the land of the living when he’d felt something cold pressed against his cheek. He sat straight up in surprise to observe the item, only for it to be a bottle of sports drink. Galo laughed loudly as he observed the shocked expression on Lio’s face, handing him a sealed pack of granola and dried fruit to catch his attention. 

“Thought you might enjoy something healthy,” Galo said as he took a seat next to Lio, crossing his legs beneath him. He tore open his own granola bar with his teeth, tearing a massive chunk out of it in one bite. 

“Thanks,” Lio replied, ignoring how warm his ears felt at the action displayed by the other. Taking a look at the objects in his lap, he realised they were the same types of snacks he’d eat on a daily basis. “These are pretty healthy,” Lio said automatically, immediately feeling like a fool that just pointed out the obvious.

“Haha, yeah! I thought you’d like them, I always keep some on hand just in case I need a quick bite.” Galo grinned as he finished off the rest of his bar in one bite, moving to place the wrapper into a tote bag he’d brought with him. 

“Really?” Lio joked, a sudden surge of confidence in his system, “I thought you’d eat nothing more than protein shakes all day. Coupled with the mountains of pizza you seem to order in twice a week.” 

Galo gasped as he stared Lio in the face, “Listen! I only have two cheat days a week, how else would I spend them? I spend so much time maintaining my diet that I need a break too.” He huffed, ruffling the mess of hair on his head before continuing, “Besides, how’d you know about that? I know the delivery guy pretty well, so there’s no way they’d accidentally try and hand them over to you guys.”

Lio rolled his eyes, “You speak as if no one will see the preposterous mountain of cardboard boxes you leave behind in the recycling room.” Lio let out a small laugh when Galo’s jaw seemed to drop at the words, as if he never ever realised that anyone other than himself would be able to see the remains of his ravenous bi-weekly feasts. Something about talking to Galo made a confusing warmth bloom in Lio’s chest, he felt comforted by his mere presence even though he hardly knew the other. It was weird, Lio thought, since the only interactions they’ve had so far were merely brief greetings in hallways. 

“You know,” Galo grumbled, seemingly thrown for a loop, “I’m kind of having an existential crisis right now.” Another laugh tore itself from Lio’s throat, his free hand had taken up an almost permanent residence on his mouth in an attempt to muffle his laughter. Galo seemed to snap out of his momentary crisis, beaming at him with an unreadable expression on his face. “I like it when you laugh,” he said, pausing to stare at Lio’s slowly reddening face. “Sounds like the tinkle of wind chimes against a soft summer breeze.” 

Galo’s face reddened in an instant, the realisation that he’d voiced his thoughts aloud hit him like a truck. “U-Uh not that there’s anything wrong with wind chimes - or your voice! Haha,” Galo chuckled awkwardly, avoiding eye contact with the other.

“No, it’s alright,” Lio said, his ears still warm from the compliment. “I get what you meant, thank you for saying that.” Lio felt the odd, warm feeling in his chest return. He’d heard similar things before, from interviewers at competitions and fans at skating venues all over the world, and yet, none of those words had phased him as much as that single sentence out of Galo Thymos’ mouth. Just what was so _different_ about it?

“Ah, I’m still sorry if I’d offended you in any way,” Galo replied, face still flushed from embarrassment. “But,” he continued, a soft smile on his face, “You do have a nice laugh.”

“Thanks,” Lio replied, shoving a handful of granola into his mouth as he willed the warmth that continued to bloom in his chest to recede. 

In an attempt to rid the awkward silence that had begun to stretch between them, Galo decided to try his luck at a normal conversation again. “Hey, are you a professional skater?” 

“Yes, I am.” Lio replied, unsurprised that Galo didn’t know who he was. While Lio was known for his achievements in the skating world, he still lived a pretty unassuming life away from mass media, which was also the reason why most of the general population didn’t know much about him, or know him at all. 

“Oh, sweet! I was gonna say it would’ve been a shame if you weren’t, considering how your skating took my breath away.” Galo commented, taking a sip out of the bottle he had in his hand.

“Thank you,” Lio replied, “ You seem to be on a compliment rollercoaster. Do you do this with everyone when you first meet?” 

“I haven’t seen much skating in my life but I could definitely see something that was special about yours.” Galo defended, “You can’t blame me for thinking it was amazing.”

“Well, what do you do then, hm?” Lio inquired, “Since you always seem to leave bright and early in the morning and never wear a shirt.”

“Hey, I told you I was a firefighter the moment I met you! And besides, I don’t need a shirt, my burning firefighter soul is all I need to keep myself warm!” Galo yelled triumphantly.

“I see,” Lio laughed, “Nothing can phase you with that soul of yours, huh.” Lio took a sip of the now room-temperature drink in his hand before he continued, “Though I’m curious, how’d you discover this lake in the first place?”

Galo took in a deep breath, “I found this place a long time back, years ago even. I was just a kid, searching for an adventure, y’know?” Carding a hand through his hair, he continued, “It took some time, but I found this spot and it’s been my go-to place for whenever I feel like relaxing ever since.”

“It’s a stunning lake, I couldn’t imagine what it’d be like to just stumble upon it out of nowhere.” Lio glanced down at the grass beneath them, the slow sussurance in the soft wind filling the silence between their words. 

“It definitely was a sight to behold. Though, Thyma gave you the coordinates, didn’t she?” Galo asked.

“Yeah, how’d you know?” Lio questioned back, confused.

“I’d met her here before, a few months ago. She seemed eager for a change of scenery. I still bump into her here sometimes and it’s nice to have some company.” Galo said, smiling as he recounted the memory to the other. 

A heavy silence settled over them, thick enough to be sliced by a knife. “That little gremlin..” Lio whispered under his breath. His mind felt muddled with a mix of anger and a sense that he should have this coming. He should’ve known that Thyma would set him up like that. She must have known there was a chance he’d run into Galo at the lake - scratch that, she _definitely_ knew and yet, she gave him the coordinates anyways, masking it as a way for him to gather some inspiration. 

_‘That girl is going to die by my hand.’_ Lio seethed internally.

“Hey, don’t kill her, maybe.” Galo laughed, surely taking notice of the look on Lio’s face, “After all, she was the one that gave us the chance to know each other, and I definitely don’t regret some meddling if that’s what it took for me to meet you.” The look on Galo’s face was fond, and very much unremorseful.

Lio groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose, “Yeah, I guess you’re right.” He sighed, “Maybe I’ll let her off the hook this time.”

“I’m glad! Hey, speaking of company, could I get your number too? I’d love to hang out with you again in the future.”

 _‘Nothing wrong will come out of giving him my contact right?’_ Lio had initially thought of exercising caution, what if the other man turns out to be a scammer and decides to sell his information for some quick cash? Though, nothing he’d gone through today felt real, so he decided to throw that caution to the wind.

“Sure," Lio said. "As long as you give me yours too.”

\-----------------

They’d talked until the sun had set and the last beams of the day’s light had faded into total darkness. Their faces were illuminated by nothing more than the full moon and the stars that caged it, spread out over the jet black night sky.

The moment Galo’s stomach had growled was when Lio finally took note of the time, cursing under his breath when he realised it was already late in the evening. “Hey,” Galo voiced, “You wanna get going?”

“Yes, please.” Lio finally stood up, grabbing his skate bag as he stretched his stiff legs. Galo had waited for him, cleaning up the trash from their quick snack hours ago in the meantime. 

A comfortable silence enveloped them as they made their way to their bikes. However, nothing lasts forever, or as Meis says, _"Every rink needs to be Zamboni-ed eventually."_ The silence was shattered when Galo had taken notice of the way Lio wore his leather jacket. “Hey, don’t wear your jacket like that, that’s illegal - and dangerous!” 

Lio had rolled his eyes, “What are you, a cop?” He fastened the buckles on his helmet, kicking off the stand on Detroit. “The law has never stopped me before, and I’ve never gotten into any trouble. No accidents either.”

“That doesn’t mean you won’t in the future.” Galo lectured, a conflicted look on his face. “Don’t you know that the wind that catches on your jacket could mess with you if you speed?” 

“Fine.” Lio removed his jacket from his front, fixing its collar before properly inserting his arms into the sleeves; dragging up the zipper located on the front. “Happy now?”

“Very,” Galo beamed, revving up the engine of his own bike. “I usually don’t condone speeding buut..” He’d placed his hands firmly on the handles of his bike and leaned towards Lio, a glint of mischief in his eyes. “Last one back to our apartment complex pays for our next outing!” 

And with that, Galo was gone, doing his best to speed into the night. “Oh, Galo Thymos you’re ON!” Lio yelled after him, hopping onto Detroit and chasing after the man who was slowly disappearing into the distance. 

Their laughter was loud and unrestrained, increasing in volume whenever one had managed to surpass the other. Continuing even when they were close to the city and when they’d finally reached their apartment complex.

Galo removed the helmet on his head, groaning in defeat. “Aw come onnn, how could I lose to you?”

“I’m somehow sure you can spare some of that pizza allowance you've got.” Lio countered, “Besides, have you seen my motorcycle? It’s my pride and joy. If I’d lost to you on Detroit I would be offended on his behalf.”

“Well, I’d gladly pay for anything we eat.” Galo had his usual bright smile on his face again. “Especially if it’s any of the pizza I eat. I can’t wait for you to take a bite of it and see god.”

Lio couldn’t believe anyone could possibly be as in love with pizza as Galo was, but he guessed it was a trait that just came accompanied with the other. “Well you better choose a date, that pizza better not disappoint.” Ignoring the taller man’s gasp, Lio started his trek into the building’s lobby. 

“It'll be the best pizza you'll _ever_ have! Hey, don’t leave me behind! Wait up!”

\-----------------

When Lio had finally bid Galo farewell, he opened the door to his shared apartment only to find it empty. Free of the usual ruckus his family would be making on a Friday night. After removing his boots, and placing them neatly on the shoe rack, (Meis and Thyma would kill him if he didn’t) he moved to wash his feet before investigating further. Eventually, he’d spotted a pink note on the door to his room. Lio walked quickly towards it, reaching an arm up to grab it down from the height it was stuck on (obviously by Gueira to fuck with him).

_‘Out for dinner! BRB!’ - Thyma xoxo_

Turning it around, he spotted a mix of messy and neat handwriting on the back.

_‘There’s a leftover salad in the fridge’ - Meis XOXO_

_‘I added the XOXO for Meis smh’ - Gueira XOXO_

Smiling to himself, Lio tucked away the note into a box in his desk's drawer, trudging his way into the bathroom to clean up. Taking a shower was a must after an entire day out skating in the sun, and it would go against every fibre in Lio’s body to fall asleep in his grass stained pants and sweaty clothing. 

The hot water felt like bliss against his sore muscles, and before he knew it, he caught himself almost falling asleep from the steam. Once Lio had dried off from his shower, he laid down on his mattress, not even bothering to dry the mop of wet hair on his head; and soon enough, exhaustion had caught up to him, and Lio drifted off to sleep. The last thoughts on his mind were of wondering what type of salad Meis had left him in the fridge, lingering in the edge of his consciousness before being claimed by the sweet release of slumber.

\-----------------

Lio’s eyes snapped open at the sound of faint shuffling in his dark bedroom. Thick and heavy, the blackout curtains over his windows allowed not more than a few stray ribbons of light to sneak in through the cracks in between - and yet, he could’ve sworn he’d seen slight movement from the corner of his hazy vision. Still trapped in the confines of his blanket burrito, Lio forced himself to lay perfectly still, forcing his body to regulate his breathing to match those who were still deep in slumber.

Lio’s mind kicked into overdrive, doing its best to process his surroundings albeit the grogginess he felt from the abrupt awakening. Seconds drifted into minutes as he strained his ears for any sign of odd noises, up until he caught a faint sound, not unlike a soft canopy of footsteps. Quiet and calculated, they seemed to come from the area by his door, right behind his prone form. With his heartbeat thundering in his ears, aided further by the rapidly increasing fear in his chest, Lio struggled to accept if his sleep paralysis demon was finally out to get him _or_ if there was actually a potentially murderous burglar in his bedroom.

As he struggled to calm the racing beat of his heart, he’d spotted something in the peripheral line of his vision, something that made his eyes widen with disbelief as his mind clouded with confusion. The creature was nothing short of horror movie material, tall and shadowy, gliding seamlessly across his vision. The eerie sight forced Lio to open his eyes wider; as if it would’ve helped him figure out what the fuck the demonic thing was. 

Until it stopped. 

And slowly turned its head towards him.

 _‘What the fuck is that thing?!’_ Lio yelled internally.

With slow, tentative steps, the silhouette started its deliberate descent towards him, eager to close the distance between them. The figure held a rectangular object in their hands, blunt and long with rounded corners. It was an object Lio’s terrified and panicked mind thought could potentially be used as a deadly weapon to club him to a slow, painful death. 

If Lio were hooked up to a polygraph machine, it would have gone haywire if he said he wasn’t almost frozen in place. A slight shiver of fear travelled up his spine, dragging a sharp pang of anxiety with it, until a faint thought prodded at his mind, strengthening his resolve. 

_‘Well, no time’s a better time than this one.’_ Slow and steady, Lio stealthily freed his left hand from the blanket covering him, reaching for the sharp knife he knew was hidden underneath the pillow on his left side. Even while it was sheathed, he believed it could be used to at least shield himself from...whatever the fuck kind of demon was in his room was at the moment. 

As his arm slid against the still sleep-warm bed sheets, his fingertips eventually grazed against something - smooth and cool to the touch. With the comforting weight of the knife finally in his grasp, a surge of adrenaline rushed through him, giving him the courage he needed to remove himself from his blankets and stand up. Lio knew he was fully prepared for a fight, when suddenly, the object in the terrifying silhouette’s hands lit up, playing a _very_ familiar tune. It was a tune _so_ familiar that he’d recognised it from the very moment it started. 

It was the fucking opening theme from Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

The bright light also gave Lio the opportunity to finally see the looming shadow’s face, revealing a bright shark-toothed grin; and Lio could’ve sworn they had the exact same look of a mischievous child narrating demonic tales at a sleepover. _“THYMA!?”_ , Lio screamed, dropping the knife in his hand as he moved to grab a pillow to whack off the gleaming grin on her face. 

He felt irritation rise in his throat as the pillow bounced harmlessly off her head, and Lio felt as if he were ready to beat the shit out of her with something more impactful than just a few pillows, "What the fuck are you doing in my room like that?!" He yelled at her as he hastily moved to grab his phone off of his nightstand, pressing hard on the power button; and squinting at the blaring light that assaulted his corneas, “At motherfucking _THREE AM?!_ ”

A muffled snort tore itself from Thyma's mouth, quickly turning into poorly concealed giggles and soon enough, uncontrollable laughter. Lio took in a deep breath, and exhaled slowly, doing his best to keep his emotions in check. While he was extremely annoyed at his sister’s antics, he could also tell that Thyma had obviously been trying to restrain her laughter for quite a long time. Well, as long as it took to scare the shit out of him.

"T-The look on your f-face, AHAHAHAH!" Thyma guffawed, gasping as she struggled to breathe between words. Her hysterical laughter ripped every shred of air from her lungs as she wheezed. Gripping her Switch in her right hand, she eventually doubled over, trying and failing to cease her uncontrollable chortling.

As the adrenaline and fear from earlier dissipated, it was soon replaced with fatigue and relief, leaving Lio drained and exhausted. He threw himself back onto his bed, stretching his right arm slightly to turn on the small cat-shaped lamp (courtesy of Gueira) that was located on his nightstand. His eyes closed on their own accord, the heavy eyelids succumbing to any rest they could get while Lio patiently waited out his sister’s laughing fit, praying that she could get it under control soon. After a few long minutes, Thyma’s legs eventually gave out on her, and she fell, narrowly missing Lio as she slumped unceremoniously onto his bed.

While she was lucky enough that the upper half of her body had collapsed onto her brother’s bed, her legs had unfortunately crumpled into an unnatural position beneath her. Her weak grip on the sheets caused the rest of her body to comically slide down the side of the comforter, pulling a few of Lio’s plushies down with her to their imminent doom as she curled up into a ball on the hardwood floor, shoulders still shaking from laughter.

Just when Lio thought she’d stopped laughing, the cackling would start up again, much to his ire and disappointment. Her wheezing continued for a long time until she finally sucked in a deep breath, exhaling it through her mouth. “Ohh my god,” she groaned, her voice hoarse as she moved a hand to clutch at her stomach, “I never knew laughing that much would physically hurt.” 

Lio opened his eyes as he sat up, glaring at his sister’s crumpled up form on the floor along with the several plushies that were dragged down with her. “Serves you right for scaring the literal ever-loving _fuck_ out of me at three am!” Lio growled as he threw another plush toy at her curled up form, still unmoving on the ground. He felt silent satisfaction rise in him as she winced at the impact.

"And yet you still have the audacity to laugh at me? After all the hell you caused me today?” Lio vaguely wondered if he’d get an earful from Meis if he pelted Thyma with something other than a couple of pillows, just until she finally understood the severity of what she’d done.

Thyma snorted, staring up at Lio from her spot on the floor. “Is this about the hot guy from down the hall or is this about when I scared the shit ou-”

Thyma’s words were interrupted when Lio threw another stuffed plush at her face, effectively cutting off the rest of her sentence. “Thyma, I could have stabbed you. You know I hide the knife Meis got me under my left pillow!”

“Well, I know you always have it sheathed!” Thyma exclaimed, wincing and groaning as she struggled to arrange herself into a proper sitting position. “And I was right!” She said as she grabbed the holographic knife that was left abandoned on the floor, still safely covered in its leather sheath. 

Thyma waved the knife in front of Lio’s face, hoping it would prove her point. “Listen, I would never provoke you unless I knew exactly what would happen,” she said with a devilish smirk, “And it happened exactly how I thought would, so I still stand uncorrected. This bitch stays winning!” Lio reached to grab another pillow off his bed, sighing internally when he realised that he didn’t have anything left that could have been used to wipe the smug smirk off of her face.

“You absolute fucking gremlin bastard, you’re lucky you’ve dragged the rest of my pillows down with you or else I’d smother you with one. I would’ve made sure your death was slow and painful.” Lio said, voicing his displeasure as he grabbed the knife from his sister’s hand, proceeding to place it safely on his nightstand. 

“But, Liiii!” Thyma faked a cry, grasping one of Lio’s hands in hers. “Who else will I have ice cream with?” 

“Well things just aren’t as simple and clean down here; I won’t think twice before beating your ass.” Lio growled, glaring at the other.

“As if I’d expect any less passion from you, Boss.” Thyma winced as she let out a small laugh. “But since it’s already so late, and tomorrow’s our day off, why don’t we hit up the nearby Mickie D’s joint, huh? I promise I’ll make it up to you there!” 

Lio cringed at the nickname Thyma had for the fast-food joint, “I hate it when you call it that.”

“Stop avoiding the question, Li!” Thyma huffed, feigning annoyance as she folded her arms across her chest.

Lio tried his best to think the offer through, weighing the pros and cons in his head. “You know Gueira and Meis will show you _absolutely_ no mercy for breaking your diet, right?” He stated, folding his arms over his chest as well; imitating his sister’s pose.

“You mean _our_ diets, right?” Thyma asked, tone pleading.

Just as he was about to decline, Lio made the terrible decision to spare a glance at the puppy eyes he should’ve known the other would make. _‘Fuck,’_ Lio thought, groaning as he pinched the bridge of his nose. He knew from that moment on that it had been a losing battle from the start and he’d definitely regret his decision in the morning.

“Alright fine, _our_ diets.” Lio relented.

“Yes!” Thyma cheered from her spot on the floor, “I’ve been craving junk for so long, Li. I can’t remember the last time I ate something saturated in artery exploding goodness. Also, they've just launched a new series of Sanrio toys and I _need_ them”

“Yeah, yeah, alright. You and your puppy eyes win this round.” Lio rolled his eyes as he stood up from his bed, grabbing his phone with him as he began his walk to the bathroom.

“Don’t lie to me, I know you’re craving grease.”

“I didn’t ask you to expose me in the comfort of my own bedroom, Thyma.”

“Well, it’s definitely too late for that.” She exclaimed, “Now brush your teeth so we can go! Gueira and Meis are still passed out on the couch, I can’t believe you slept through movie night.” Thyma huffed as she pouted at her brother, “I had to watch them be disgustingly in love while my single, gay ass had to sit in the Big Ugly Chair, all alone! No hugs this time!”

The Big Ugly Chair had been a gift from Meis’ mother when they’d first moved in into their new apartment. All Lio knew was that she’d come in one day for a visit during Lunar New Year and had immediately protested the lack of seating arrangements in their living room, leading to her and a few of Meis’ aunts and uncles to carry a massive, ugly, dark orange-brown chair into the elevators and eventually, their living room. While Lio had never protested the red envelopes filled with (quite a large sum of) money he’d receive from Mrs Feng every year, he sure protested her taste in furniture. 

Lio vaguely remembered leaving the room he and Thyma had holed up in to avoid greeting Meis’ relatives when they were called out by Gueira to say hello, only to be welcomed by the sight of the massive, ugly chair in the middle of their once reasonable looking living room. It stood out like a sore thumb amongst their other decently coloured furniture - and Lio and Thyma were frozen by just how ugly it was. 

After Meis’ eccentric relatives had left for the night, Gueira would later go on to recount the situation as if the chair was Medusa itself, and the kids were turned into stone merely by staring at it. While Gueira, Thyma and Lio hated the chair with a burning passion, Meis seemed to like it, in fact, he liked it so much that he defended the ugly chair whenever they so much as complained about its presence. 

Meis' defensive behaviour towards the chair slowly led Lio and Thyma’s curiosity to peak. They eventually asked the former just what was _so_ good about the chair, and immediately regretted their decision when they realised it had pushed Meis past the tipping point. The older man had gone on a three-hour-long passionate tangent on every feature and aspect of the chair that was beautiful in his eyes, and when Gueira had returned home from his trip to the supermarket, he _too_ was subjected to his husband's rant. Exhausted and defeated, he was left wishing he'd just spent more time analysing the contents of the weird blue milk he'd seen on sale. After Meis had tired himself out and left for a nap, Gueira had explained that Meis’ parents collected and sold antique chairs for a living, which definitely explained a lot to Lio and Thyma.

“Well you could’ve just come in to wake me up, y'know?” Lio said as he turned on the lights to his bathroom, grabbing his green toothbrush off of its holder. 

“Yno I wuldn mnd.” He said, voice muffled between brushes.

“Lio you’re disgusting.” Thyma gagged at the sight of foam dribbling down the other’s chin.

“Is pybac” 

After Lio was done with his routine, he walked out to find Thyma still sitting in the same position on the floor. “What are you doing? Let’s go.” 

“Uhm,” Thyma said, sheepish, “Could you maybe, uhh...help me up? My legs are numb.”

“Ugh, fine.” Lio groaned, moving to pull his sister into a standing position.

“Could you also...maybe help me charge my Switch on our way out?” Thyma pleaded, her signature weaponised puppy eyes apparent on her face.

“I absolutely cannot stand you.”

“Love you too, Lio.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy belated Dragon Boat Festival! 端午节快乐! 
> 
> Me, writing this chapter as my friends who aren't into Promare share galaxy brain takes on Sem 3 Akechi while Donald Duck sings Simple and Clean in the bg : Ahh, the power of friendship.
> 
> This chapter was written not only with the opening to every Kingdom Hearts opening blasting in the BG but with [THIS song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lm1tPcsR_2g) which I’ve had on loop since late May. If you watch it pls turn the subs on and stan my girl Chen Zhuoxuan her vocals are GODLIKE. 
> 
> Also, allow me to tell you guys a story on how the last chapter got published. I didn't really plan for it to be posted so soon and I didn't really have the courage to post it either but my dear friend, Enna was telling me how Gladiolus Amicita from Final Fantasy XV had a flat ass and said he would make a PowerPoint presentation just to prove it. So I decided, if they made the PowerPoint, I'd finish the chapter and post it by the end of the night. It led to the wildest Zoom call I'd ever had the pleasure to be in but do I regret it?? Never. However I am a changed person now, Gladio really does have a flat ass tho I couldn't deny the evidence F. I also wanna say a huge thank you to the absolute kings Enna and Furi for helping me beta the last chapter even though they aren't even into Promare at all ilu both sm.
> 
> Also, these notes are getting real Long but remember lads, here is your reminder to NOT support the ISU Skating Awards. It is a product of scam and an obsession for money. Do not engage, do not give them more publicity. The ISU sold the tickets advertised as usual gala tickets for Worlds 2020, only to change the event to an award show AFTER the tickets had been bought, effectively scamming fans out of hundreds and refusing to give refunds. 
> 
> Find me at my Twitter [@ZuzuHanyu!](https://twitter.com/ZuzuHanyu)


	3. Hope And Legacy (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lio cringed at the sight of ice cream that dribbled out the corner of Thyma’s mouth while she spoke, moving quickly to shove a tissue into her free hand. “Besides,” She continued, a devious smile on her face, “Offseason is _soooo_ boring, and you two can provide more than enough entertainment to tide us over during these stressful times.”
> 
> Huh?
> 
> “Wait,” Lio hissed, narrowing his eyes at his sister, “What do you mean by _us_?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y’all! Sorry for the constant irregular updates! Life came at me as fast as a Lamborghini speeding on a highway at 3 A.M. and I was driving a scooter that barely managed to swerve out of it’s way. Thank you all so so much for the kudos and sweet comments!! They really do fuel me to improve and work harder!
> 
> Half of this chapter is about Lio’s backstory! The line breaks will change to signify the start of it.
> 
> Present : -----
> 
> Past : /////
> 
> There are Trigger Warnings for this chapter, so please proceed carefully! TW// Child neglect and Breakdowns.

When they’d finally gotten their trays with their orders, Lio had found them a pretty secluded booth in the surprisingly crowded McDonald’s. Placing the tray he carried down onto the table, he scootched his way into the narrow booth. Thyma had taken residence on a wooden chair across from him, giving him a mischievous look as she reached to dip a few fries into her Oreo McFlurry. 

“So,” Thyma started, chewing slowly on her fries, “Judging by your reaction earlier, I’m guessing you met your prince charming at the pretty lake?” 

“Thyma, don’t talk with your mouth full, that’s disgusting,” Lio replied, taking a bite out of his greasy chicken and wincing internally at the oil that coated the roof of his mouth. Meis and Gueira were _definitely_ going to kill him for ruining his diet - though he’d be lying if he said the grease didn’t hit the spot. He grabbed a tissue from the corner of the tray and wiped his mouth before he continued. “Yes, you Walmart Discount Cupid, I did. Don’t get me started on how mad I am at you for trying to play matchmaker.”

“Oh please,” Thyma said as she rolled her eyes, shoving another spoonful of ice cream into her mouth, “If I hadn’t played matchmaker, you would just keep pining from afar. And frankly? I’ve had _enough_ of seeing you two dance around each other like two pigeons failing at a mating dance.”

Lio cringed at the sight of ice cream that dribbled out the corner of Thyma’s mouth while she spoke, moving quickly to shove a tissue into her free hand. “Besides,” She continued, a devious smile on her face, “Offseason is _soooo_ boring, and you two can provide more than enough entertainment to tide us over during these stressful times.”

Huh?

“Wait,” Lio hissed, narrowing his eyes at his sister, “What do you mean by _us_?”

Thyma stared at him, a look of slight confusion apparent on her face as she tried to analyse the meaning behind the other’s words. Realisation dawned on her as she laughed in surprise, stealing a piece of chicken from Lio's tray, “Oh my god. Okay, you’re serious.”

Lio continued to glare at the other, motioning for her to explain what the ever-loving fuck she meant.

“Don’t tell me you don’t think Meis and Gueira aren’t enjoying this too. Dude, this is prime drama, it’s even better than the shit we see on TLC.”

“You can’t expect me to believe that you guys are watching my love life like it’s a shitty reality television show on your budget cable TV.” Lio took a sip of his soda, mulling over his words. "Wait, you know what? Nevermind. It’s you three, nothing is surprising anymore.”

“You expect us to pass up on a prime opportunity like this and _not_ have a little fun? Impossible.” She huffed, taking a big bite out of the chicken held daintily between her freshly manicured fingers. Lio ignored her in favour of enjoying the rest of his meal in peace, that was until Thyma froze, tense and rigid - eyes widening as her face began to redden. 

It was at that moment that Lio knew that his plan had worked, the single look on her face was all he needed to know that he’d gotten his payback. “Checkmate,” Lio said, as he leisurely continued his meal, stealing some fries from the other’s tray and paying no mind to the tears in Thyma’s eyes. 

Thyma snapped back to the present, moving quickly to grab her cup of soda - and started silently praying to any God who would listen when she realised it was almost empty.

After shoving heaps of ice cream into her mouth in a sad attempt to cool the burn, Thyma tried to voice her protests, voice garbled and muffled by the spoon in her mouth. “Oh, I’m sorry Thyma, what was that? I don’t speak dumbass.”

“I’m telling on you!” Thyma grumbled, before immediately regretting her decision of opening her mouth and facing the burn without the chill of ice cream on her tongue. Grabbing her spoon once again, she continued to shovel the rest of the sweet dessert into her mouth, praying that it would quell the heat and free her from the pain.

“I don’t think they’ll save you after hearing what you did to your diet.” Lio countered, hiding his smirk behind his cup. Thyma struggled for a couple more minutes, eventually accepting her fate as she slumped down in her seat, limp and ready for God to send the Grim Reaper to reap her soul.

“I despise you,” Thyma groaned, closing her eyes in an attempt to gather her bearings.

“Ditto,” Lio said as he held in a laugh, finishing off the rest of his meal as he watched the other suffer in silence.

As Lio ate his last fry, Thyma finally broke the pain induced silence between them. “Hey, do you think they’ll let us off easy if we bring home some hash browns and McMuffins?” She questioned, finally feeling the bit of soul she had left teetering back into her body.

“Maybe,” Lio started, “You paying?” There was no way in hell that Meis would ever be won over by a bag of cold hash browns and processed meat, but Gueira on the other hand…

“Let’s split,” Thyma proposed, “But if you let me drive Detroit on our way home I’ll pay the full price.” While Lio would hardly let anyone other than himself even lay a single finger on his pride and joy, his sister was driving a hard bargain. 

“Tell me why Gueira has such an affinity for McDonald’s and I’ll hand you the keys for tonight,” Lio was curious, the other man’s cheat day obsession with McDonald’s was intriguing, but one he’d never gotten an answer to. It was like a weird itch he could never scratch, or a treasure chest he could never find, and this was the best chance he’d ever get to find out about the reason why.

Thyma coughed, trying to mask a strangled laugh that escaped her throat. “The story isn’t all that amazing.” She adjusted the hairband on her head before continuing, “But if you insist, then settle down and Ms Thyma will tell you a boring summary from when Gueira and I first moved out of our parents’ house together.”

She took another bite of ice cream before starting. “It was a gloomy Sunday afternoon and the clouds were heavy with rain, the boxes we had were packed into a large moving truck and our parents were glaring at us by their positions on the porch-” 

“What does this have anything to do with McDonald’s?” Lio questioned, folding his arms in front of his chest.

“I’m getting to it!” She exclaimed, “But if you’re so desperate for the short version, basically I cried in the back of a moving truck and Gueira told me he’d work at a McDonald’s for his entire life if it meant that he’d get to see me smile again.” While spoken in a way that may seem dismissive and nonchalant to many, the story meant a lot to Thyma, and Lio could tell by the slight quirk of her lips and the underlying fondness in her tone.

“Do you think Gueira would’ve changed out every chair in the apartment with Razer gaming chairs if he’d gotten a promotion to McDonald’s manager?” Lio questioned, doing his best to lighten the mood.

“If Meis didn’t strangle him to death first then I think I would have.” Thyma looked disgusted at the thought of dozens upon dozens of mismatched gaming chairs in their apartment, “Not a very epic gamer move, in my opinion; and I’m pretty sure Meis would have sold every chair back to his parents just for some extra money to splurge on organic groceries.” 

Lio huffed out a laugh, stretching lazily, not unlike a cat before standing up from his seat and handing his keys into Thyma’s waiting hand. “You’ve fulfilled your part of the deal, it’s only fair that I fulfil mine. But if you crash Detroit I’m taking all your earnings from your next competition.”

“Do you really have such little faith in me?” Thyma teases, twirling the keys on her finger. Her brother shoots her an unamused stare, a clear hint of threat obvious in his gaze.

“Just drive and I’ll be the judge of that faith.”

“Aye aye captain!” Thyma bounds up from her seat, putting away their trays before racing out of the exit and into the parking lot. Lio sighs, “Determined as always,” he mutters, before heading for the exit too.

\-----------------

They ended up buying more than a few orders of hashbrowns and breakfast McMuffins through the drive-through window before heading home. Thyma kept her promise of driving safely, that was until she decided to permanently plaster her foot on the accelerator until they finally reached their apartment’s parking lot, leaving Lio to hang on for dear life on the other’s waist, unable to see properly due to his vision being blocked by his sister’s hair.

With the leftover adrenaline still running through their systems, they crashed in Thyma’s room, turning on sad excuses of figure skating movies on her laptop in hopes to make up for Lio missing movie night. That was before they inevitably fell asleep; curled together like a pair of cats in a nest of blankets and stuffed animals.

When Meis wakes up the next morning and spots the bags of McDonald’s (along with a couple of toys) on the kitchen counter, he immediately checks which room the kids are in. It’s no longer alarming at this point, sometimes they sneak out at night, ruin their diets, and return at five A.M. with takeout of whatever they ruined their diets with. Deciding to leave them to sleep in before waking up his husband to launch their plan of attack, Meis searches for the rubber chicken he knows is hidden by the potted plants out on the balcony. Knowing Gueira, he’d probably enjoy terrorizing the younger two before eating his weight in fast food and passing out from a food coma right after. 

After he finds the brightly coloured chicken, he makes his way back into his and Gueira’s shared bedroom, grabbing onto his secret weapon, hidden within the depths of his closet. The bright red sequin Nicholas Cage body pillow Thyma had bought him during Christmas all those years ago. Despite the fact that Thyma had made the executive decision to buy the pillow herself, she could never deny that it looked terrifying. In her own words, it was as if the printed image was staring into her soul, taking note of every single step she took around the house. Lio once joked it was a great weapon to scare away any burglars if it were placed right in front of their doorstep, and Meis couldn’t bring himself to disagree with him.

Making his way to their bed, Meis wakes Gueira up with a kiss before shoving the Nicholas Cage body pillow in front of him, the beady eyes printed onto the pillow effectively waking him up in an instant. He perks up at the sight of the red pillow in front of him, catching his husband’s gaze from across the room before hastily grabbing the pillows off of their bed.

It’s a routine they’ve had perfected to a T for years at this point. As the couple sneaks their way into Thyma’s room, they stop by the open door. Gueira’s mouth is clamped shut by Meis’ hand, but that doesn’t stop him from gesturing to his husband so that he can take a picture of the scene in front of him. It’s nice to think about how far they’d come since all those years ago, but that doesn’t divert them from their route of attack. 

Using as much strength as he could muster, Gueira throws the mountain of pillows and blankets he has in his arms onto their sleeping forms, dodging a pillow aimed at him when he hears the shrill cry of the rubber chicken from Meis, accompanied by a loud shriek. Instead, the pillow hits Meis square in his face, and the room goes silent; Thyma taking cover before Meis climbs onto the bed and tries to fight her with the very same body pillow she’d gotten him all those years ago. 

Soon enough, a full-blown pillow fight breaks out. Lio tries his best to shove another pillow in Meis’ face, while Thyma’s on the other side of the room, dodging Gueira’s pillows as well as she can while running around at full speed. By the end of the fight, they’re all collapsed in a sweaty heap on the bed. Once in a while, one of them will grumble, shifting their limbs into comfier positions to accommodate each other.

“Ugh, my room’s a mess now…” Thyma grumbled, freeing her arm from under Gueira’s sweaty back. 

“I saw what you did to Lio’s room, this mess is just payback.” Meis lectures from his position, currently laying on top of Gueira.

Thyma groans, complaining about how Meis always knows it’s her doing, and Lio does his best attempt at shoving the three of them off of him. “Get off of me, you’re all crushing me!” Lio yells from under the pile, wriggling like an unhinged worm on a string before eventually giving up.

“If you’re bein’ crushed then move then!” Gueira exclaims, intentionally moving his hand to smack against Lio’s face.

“It’s not as if I can move anyway, you guys are crushing me!” Lio shoves Gueira’s hand back onto the older man’s face, stifling a laugh when he yelps in surprise. “I absolutely hate it here.”

“Lies and blasphemy,” Meis counters, “There’s no place you’d rather be.”

Lio closes his eyes and takes in his surroundings. They’re laying in a messy pile on a nasty sweat-soaked bed, and Lio can feel Thyma’s arms by his legs. The other two are sprawled out above him, laying against each other. If he pays close attention, he can hear their laboured breathing, a sign that they were still recovering from their fight from earlier.

 _‘Yeah,’_ Lio thinks, there really is nowhere he’d rather be.

/////////////////

One of Lio’s earliest memories is of dark walls and marble flooring, accompanied by the sterile scent of a room wiped too clean, sharp and strong. To the left of his vision, he spots a marble bust perched on top of a wooden pedestal, it's bright surface shining, seemingly glowing beneath the mild sunlight that's streaming through the office's windows. Lio’s hands are clenched behind his back, standing ramrod straight as his mother stares down at him, a look of indifference apparent on her face.

A pair of skates are placed by his feet, a reward, his father says, for doing well in his studies. A purely transactional exchange. Lio knew better than to question his parents’ motives and actions, merely nodding in appreciation as he broke his form to neatly gather the boots into his arms.

His mother tells him his lessons start the next day. He wonders what the skates are for, but a child is not allowed to ask questions, so Lio stays quiet - nodding yet again; silently excusing himself from the room to ensure he will be on time for the rest of his classes.

Lio does his best to ignore the giddiness that blooms in his chest at the thought of being outside of the manor’s grounds.

/////////////////

Lio’s first lesson goes by the way any beginner lesson would, he stumbles, trips and falls. The cold had long seeped into his clothing from all the tumbles he’d taken, the surrounding chill soaking into his bones. Lio was just about ready to declare the ice as his new enemy. His instructor gives him encouraging smiles and offers to hold his hand in hopes that he’d be able to steady himself better. But Lio Fotia is nothing but stubborn, and keeps the annoyance to himself, refusing to take the easy way out. A wave of determination rises in him as the hours go by, the blades beneath him are less shaky, and his legs no longer feel as much as jelly. And by the end of the lesson, Lio could successfully skate in a straight line.

Lio’s instructor is weird, he concludes. He smiles too much and seems too nice, but he’s honest and helpful, always looking out for him while they’re on the ice. For the first time in his life, Lio Fotia realises that while his etiquette instructor may say that emotions are fickle things that merely exist to show weakness - sometimes, instructors can be wrong too.

As every class he attends grows easier, and as the smooth movement of his skates on the ice seem to glide with less effort, Lio realises the best gift his parents will ever give him in his lifetime is the privilege to skate.

/////////////////

Lio receives his first locally held international assignment at the age of ten, the crowd is larger than he’s used to, and the judges seem strict and vaguely terrifying, a clear bias already on their minds. But Lio puts his heart and soul into his skate anyway, the familiar feeling of roughed-up ice against his skates melting his worries away. He places seventh by the end of his Short Programme, and Lio knew he’d have to put in at least ten times the effort for his Free Programme if he’d wanted any chance to even podium.

As the years went by, the feeling of his skates on ice had grown to be therapeutic. It was easy to get lost in the feeling of the smooth and agile glide of his blades against freshly Zamboni-ed ice, leaving elegant figures and marks in its wake. When Lio shows up early for his Free Programme the next day, he spots a girl with fiery hair with red and pink undertones. It’s hard to describe the exact colour, he observes; the girl gives him a big grin when she notices his stare, and he sends her a small wave in return.

He ends his skate at fourth place, a disappointing defeat that Lio knows his parents would lecture him about later. But for some reason, his coach brings him out for ice cream to celebrate, treating him to a whole sundae with his favourite flavours as a form of encouragement, telling him that he could only improve from here. The ice cream is cold against his tongue, the threat of a brain freeze looming by the speed he consumes it, but the happiness in his chest is real - warming him from inside out.

/////////////////

On Lio’s first day of school after summer break, he sees the same girl from the competition, surrounded by a couple of students who seem older - a threatening aura surrounding them as they try to corner her into the lockers. However, just seconds before he moves in to intervene, the girl suplexes the student nearest to her, and kicks the legs out from under another. She finishes off the last girl with an elbow to their face, and by the time Lio’s reached her side, the students who were cornering her earlier were already unconscious on the ground.

The girl turns to him with a smile on her face, extending her hand to grab Lio’s, and shaking it vigorously while she introduces herself. Lio learns that her name is Thyma, and that she’s a student who’s also in the same year as he is. While he still couldn’t shake the shock from his system at just how quickly Thyma managed to rebound from the situation, she merely brushes it off as if it were nothing but a normal walk in the park.

The bell rings before Lio manages to question the other on whether or not they wanted to pay a visit to the nurse’s office. Thyma grips onto his arm with so much strength that he believes it could cut off his circulatory system, and Lio follows along limply as she drags them to their shared class, effectively cutting off the rest of his train of thought. The unconscious bodies of the students from earlier aren’t discovered until they’d safely made their way to class. A teacher yells for a nurse before wondering what could have happened to cause such injuries in a hallway full of small children.

As the day went by, Thyma tells Lio that she’d declared him as her friend now. She offers him half of her sandwich, and they sit together during lunch under a secluded spot she’d discovered behind the school; she jokes that she no longer has to hide in the washrooms for a peaceful lunch alone. While Lio had noticed the tiny hint of truth in her words, he chooses not to comment on it. Instead, he agrees to her request for spending their lunch periods together, and they share lunches under the tree for the rest of their years they’re on school grounds.

Sometimes Thyma shows up with red, bloodshot eyes and distinct signs that she’d been crying, and Lio would treat her to her favourite drink in an attempt to cheer her up. Sometimes Lio shows up looking tired and worn, the rings under his eyes darker than usual, and Thyma lends him her jacket to use as a pillow; making up excuses for him during class.

When they meet during competitions, they cheer and clap for each other as loudly as their throats and hands can handle, ignoring the side-eyed glances they’d receive from other spectators. They muster all their strength into throwing plushies and flowers onto the ice for each other from the crowd during each other’s single skates, and when they’re the one alone on the ice, they’d pick up the gifts they’d received from the other before taking their seat in the Kiss and Cry. 

At banquets, they play around by the buffet spread, holding mini competitions and dares to see who can eat the most salad, or who could trick the waiter into giving them alcohol. Lio soon learns that Thyma has an older brother, a pair skater named Gueira who stares at them with nothing but exhaustion in his eyes. Thyma never spares a single look at her sibling, ignoring him in favour of playing with Lio and any fellow competitors who are willing to join in on their game. Lio wonders if he’s the reason why she shows up to school sad sometimes, and he grows an immediate distaste for the look in the other’s eyes.

/////////////////

By the time Lio is fifteen, he’d just ended his second Junior season, achieving a spot on the podium in every competition he’d attended since two years prior. He’s told that he’s allowed to move up into the senior circuit by the next season, and his parents give him less disappointed stares when he’s forced to have dinner with them during the week that they’re home. Lio prefers the manor when it’s empty, the void of his parents is never felt, especially when they never talk to him anyway. Sometimes the maids stare at him with pity in their eyes, but he ignores them, calling up Thyma on his phone before heading out to the gazebo in the gardens.

Thyma rarely shows up to school sad now, and she brings up her brother more often, praising him for winning Gold at Worlds and going on and on about just how soft his pair partner’s hair was when she was given the permission to braid it. Soon enough Lio learns that she’d moved in with her brother and his pair partner turned boyfriend, with Gueira receiving full custody of his sister.

The first time Lio meets Gueira and his partner properly is during his first Grand Prix assignment as a senior in Japan. The jet lag leaves him bleary-eyed and exhausted, and the difference in time zones doesn’t help either. Lio bumps into the other by the breakfast bar in their assigned hotel, almost dropping his plate before apologising profusely. Gueira waves off his apologies and introduces himself as well as the man standing right next to him, thanking him for being friends with his sister and apologising for any rudeness in the past. Lio accepts his apology, and his friendship with Meis and Gueira only grow from there.

Lio receives a large dragon plushie from Gueira, Meis and Thyma for his birthday that year. He pretends he doesn’t feel like crying at the mere sight of it, and at just how soft it feels under his fingers.

Soon enough Lio is sneaking out of the Fotia Manor for movie nights at Thyma’s shared apartment, taking turns every week to see who gets to pick the next movie. Thyma introduces him to the magic of animated movies, full of bright colours and cliché fantasies that he’d never had the chance to experience as a child. Gueira, on the other hand, likes putting on terribly inaccurate figure skating movies, which just evolves into multiple stressful sessions where they have to pause and yell at the screen, throats sore and voices hoarse by the end of the night. 

Meis is into a wide variety of shows and movies. For a couple of weeks in a row, they binged a series he’d chosen, comprised of about fifty episodes, each of them an hour in length. The pining between the two main characters is too painful to watch, and Lio and Thyma cover their eyes and pretend they can’t see Meis and Gueira making out on the sofa next to theirs.

However, all good things must come to an end, and the emptiness that fills Lio’s chest aches every time he starts his trek back to the manor, the warmth from earlier fading into a massive, cold, black hole in the middle his chest. He can’t bring it in him to call it home, because a home isn’t cold and empty, full of sterile rooms and expensive items. A home is shared laughter over a stupid meme, and pointless arguments over which flavour of popcorn is better. A home is quiet smiles and warm hugs, it’s the smell of hot chocolate that’s freshly brewed to cheer each other up. 

If home is where the heart is, then Lio’s is nowhere to be found on the road he’s taking back to the manor.

/////////////////

Nausea rises through his chest, constricting and heavy. Lio struggles to maintain his footing, stumbling around the dim alleyway he’d found himself in. His face had gone pale long ago, his stiff, frozen fingers trembling, grasping for purchase against the straps of his backpack. The heavy weight felt like there were a million boulders perched upon his shoulders; as if he were Atlas, punished to shoulder the burden of the earth with nothing but his puny, bare hands.

The backpack was filled with the only things he had left besides the clothes he had on his back; the last few things that even remotely felt like they mattered to Lio, hastily ripped from his closet after he’d climbed through the window of his room through the roof of the manor. 

Lio was never one for anything sentimental, never one for getting attached. At least that was what he told himself. _‘There was no use’_ , he mused all those years ago. He'd always just get left behind in the end, or so he thought. Lio felt stupid for getting attached to his friends, he felt like he was the biggest dumbass on earth to even assume the others would want him around after seeing him in his half-dead state. And yet, there he was, stumbling half-blind into the night with no sense of direction, with the last few things in his backpack being nothing but items he’d received from them. _‘Stolen memories’_ , Lio thought hazily, _‘Ones left frozen in a happier time.’_

Lio vaguely remembered his larger suitcase, long abandoned at a nameless pizza parlour after his seventh day of living on the streets. It had been ready and waiting by the doorstep of the manor, _'lovingly'_ packed by his parents after Lio had failed to achieve the gold they'd expected from him at Nationals. They weren’t there to throw him out. Though Lio would be lying if he said he had expected at least a few cold glares, filled with the usual disappointment and disdain they had for him before they banished him for good. Instead, he was greeted by nothing but a few pitiful glances from the maids who pretended they weren’t eavesdropping when the head of security told him he was no longer permitted on Fotia Manor’s grounds.

 _‘Maybe it’s still at the pizza place I went to a week ago…’_ He wondered. Lio indistinctly remembered making a run from it the moment a schoolmate had recognised him in his messy state, his memory as foggy as his blurred vision. His head felt like a pillow stuffed full of cotton wool and feathers, soaked for hours in the deep sea, heavy on his shoulders and dizzyingly full. 

His breaths came out in short pants, small clouds of mist forming from the oxygen that escaped through the crack of his lips. Lio hardly noticed the pit of dread in his stomach sink deeper, taking his last shreds of stability along with it. His shaky fingers trailed from the straps of his backpack to his face, covering it in hopes that no one recognised him, hiding like a washed-up homeless junkie in a shady alleyway, left abandoned with nowhere left to go. Without anyone else to care for him.

The voice in his head sneered, _‘As if anyone cared about you for more than your achievements and medals.’_ It cackled as it spoke, conveying its words as if it were a devil simply stating an obvious fact, _‘You were only important to them because they knew they could gain something from you.’_

The thought threatened to seize his already aching heart and shatter it into pieces, "But I thought they’d at least care if I’d worked myself into the mould that they _wanted_ me to be,” he said to himself. His voice echoed throughout the empty alleyway, what energy he had left seemed to seep out of him in an instant as his back hit the rough surface of a random shop’s grimy brick wall. 

He sank to his knees in exhaustion, his ankles throbbing in agony and his feet torturously swollen and sore from days of aimless wandering. The streets of Promepolis were always alive, bustling and busy as people went on with their daily lives, completely unaware of Lio’s plight. Lio had gone over a week without proper rest, the knowledge that there was nowhere he deserved to be, nowhere he’d ever belong, had weighed heavy on his mind the entire time. He was unwanted, and that was a _fact_.

Lio had stayed at the local library near his high school for almost a week, he’d chosen areas few or none would think to go to for a read. Dust bunnies and the smell of old books filled his days as he failed and struggled to catch up on his assignments and homework, merely catching a couple of winks of sleep when he’d accidentally dozed off by tall shelves. 

Unfortunately, his brief stint at the library was short-lived. A new librarian on shift had kicked him out for falling asleep on one of the empty old chairs, whispering loudly as she complained that he should go home and get some rest. Lio silently cursed himself for trying his luck. He knew she was probably afraid that he was a hobo taking up their library space, ruining their reputation with his mere presence. However, he couldn't bring himself to blame her. Besides, who’d want him anywhere near them anyway? He was nothing more than a disappointment.

He remembered Thyma’s concerned glances and interactions with him at school for the past week. She’d been worried about how haggard and unkept he looked, bringing extra lunches packed by Gueira and handing them to him during lunch period, and offering him snacks whenever she had the opportunity to. Lio would never admit how the act had almost brought tears to his eyes, the ache in his stomach finally quelling to a slight pang when he’d finally finished the first meal he’d had in five days.

In his freezing and hungry state, Lio wondered what it would be like to be free. To live a life like a mystical dragon from the stories he’d read as a child, majestic and stunning in every form. Elegant and steady, powerful enough to set its flames onto every challenge in its path, all while radiating an air of undeniable control. The tides of his anxiety and nausea rose, like a high wave of a blazing tsunami, the smouldering flames bright and ready to decimate everything in its path. Tall buildings would crumble under his fury and agony, sinking every safe landing so none of his enemies could escape.

Skyscrapers would fall, consumed by neon flames and destroyed under the dragon’s rage, once careful and controlled, now nothing but. Finally achieving its revenge against all those who had wronged him in the past, all those who had hurt the ones close to him. Traitorous tears blurred his vision and trailed down his face, filled with grief. Their presence felt hot, unlike the sudden shock of lava, against his cold cheeks and a strangled, choked-up sob tore itself from his already raw throat. Lio had tried for so long to hide his pain, to hide his loneliness, to hide his exhaustion.

Finally, in the dead of a cold winter night, after so many years of stress and fear, did he finally let himself _go_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aw man I really wrote 3.5k worth of this chapter in one sitting a few days right after my Accounting finals. I had to make five excel spreadsheets with only my touchpad because my mouse broke before the exam started and let’s just say my arm felt like it was in a constant state of p a i n for quite some time.
> 
> Thank you so so much to Aki for helping me beta this chapter!! ILU! ♡(ŐωŐ人)
> 
> This chapter is named after Yuzuru Hanyu’s breathtaking Free Skate, Hope and Legacy. Please check out his Free Skate from the [ 2017 World Championships! ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLnWD7i99-w)
> 
> It used to have over 3 Million views until the ISU took it down, I’m not gonna lie I’ll never forgive them for that. 
> 
> Also check out the version he skated at [Four Continents](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0k7RzF2Xq3w) earlier this year!! It truly shows just how much he’d improved since then!
> 
> Check out the [ Spotify Playlist](https://t.co/UsiBmxaFIN?amp=1) for this fic!
> 
> Also find me at my [ Twitter! ](https://twitter.com/ZuzuHanyu)

**Author's Note:**

> Check out my twitter! @Zuzuhanyu
> 
> Leave a <3 as an extra kudo if you'd like!


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